A Time of Mourning
by batwheelsz350
Summary: Purely from the JL/JLU setting. This story takes place during Amanda Waller's flashback with the Royal Flush Gang and Ace's untimely demise. Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1

Serving on Monitor Duty was always quite the boring process. No hero found enjoyment from sitting behind the monitors surveying the happenings of the world, and everyone with the exception of Batman and J'onn looked for ways to pass the time until their shift would end. Diana was also guilty of this practice, but her way of passing time was to focus wholeheartedly on any ongoing mission. She tried to live vicariously through the heroes meeting the call of defending others.

She was always at the ready when a mission was under way, even trying to remain vigilant during the closing moments. Anyone else might have accused her of hoping something went awry just so that she could react. In reality she was only trying to keep the energy level up, knowing full well what awaited her when a mission officially closed.

As it happened, an instance such as that had currently been in progress. A mission had been put forth by a US government liaison who requested League intervention. Diana had sent the active team of Shayera, Red Tornado, and Stargirl down to investigate the identified issue outside of Gotham. Of course being so very close to his territory, Batman had expectedly arrived for the assist, and served to complete the team while simultaneously taking away the spot Diana could have assumed.

She tried not to let being left behind grate at her, but it was obvious that she hadn't been needed. The crisis had been resolved, and the Beta team was returning via Javelin to the space station sans Batman, who simply returned to his city.

Aside from that lone mission, it'd been a very quiet night, and as a result Diana was still itching for a reason to stretch her legs with the hopes that she wouldn't have to serve the rest of her shift in inaction. She started to serve her part in following the protocols behind the debriefing process. As the person on Monitor Duty, she had the responsibility of focusing on the security feeds as any team returned from a mission.

She knew full well from past experience how troublesome some people had been when it came to maintaining their home base's integrity. They'd had many enemies that would stoop to countless, desperate measures for any opportunity to take down the Justice League. Various scans therefore had to be performed to the inside and over the hull of every returning vessel, and then focus was to be shifted onto each returning member.

Everyone who returned had to be vetted to ensure that they weren't an impostor, and it was at that moment when Diana stopped simply watching her three fellow teammates as a part of protocol, and instead began to focus more on their demeanor. She quickly noticed how everyone's body language was different than normal.

It wasn't difficult to conclude they weren't imposters, but even the android known as Red Tornado appeared to have a somber demeanor about him. The slumping of Shayera's shoulders was also quite the noticeable trait that didn't correlate with the winged warrior's normal stance. Even a person who barely knew the angelic hero would've picked up on it.

Shayera simply wasn't the type to wear her emotions for anyone to see aside from perhaps anger or frustration. Sure there were times where she had shown other emotions, but those moments were few and far between. In fact, aside from Batman; Shayera was perhaps the most professional of the group when it came to keeping emotions separated from a mission. She was certainly the best at compartmentalizing her emotions amongst all of the full time League members.

Based on that, Diana concluded that there had to be something about the mission which had rattled them, but what could it have been? She tried finding that answer by going back to double check the radio transmissions, replaying them where both her teammates and the government liaison had spoken of the mission's success. Each recording indicated that they'd stopped the threat with only minor damage, and not a single injured innocent bystander to report. If that had been accurate, then she wondered why the three of them all would be acting as if they'd failed instead of succeeding.

It seemed almost as if the victory had somehow been hollow. Diana knew and acknowledged that there were times where hollow victories unfortunately had occurred before. They'd all been involved in a number of occasions where in spite of all the power and the best of efforts of the Justice League, some innocent lives simply could not be saved. It was a horrible inevitability that each person had to accept at some point. But even so for those not quite as experienced in handling the loss of life, normally that emotional response was held in check until they were behind closed doors and away from prying eyes.

Curiosity continued to grab at her as Diana studied the trio solemnly marching toward the Monitor Womb. She'd figured as much based upon the progression of cameras she kept having to switch onto in order to continue watching them. She'd figured that they were likely heading there in order to write up their official mission statement reports. Perhaps then she could question what'd caused their gloomy disposition. The question was who to approach.

She concluded quickly that Red Tornado wouldn't be the right one. Being an android, he typically had more questions about human behavior than answers. Stargirl would very likely spill to details, but she was so young that it was difficult to tell at times how much she might embellish on details. Many of her mission statements to date had to be rehashed or rewritten once she'd had some time to allow her emotions to settle. That left Shayera as the only legitimate option.

Saying that Diana and Shayera had ever really gotten back to being on the best of terms would be a severe understatement. Except for a pair of missions, they'd barely spoken to each other since Shayera's full return to the League after the Thanagarian invasion. Truthfully, Diana still held a bit of a grudge. Shayera had been her one true sister outside of Themyscira, and that had become especially important once Diana was officially banned from her homeland.

Even still, talking through the emotions of anything, even a mission had always been difficult at the best of times between them. But if she really wanted answers, she had no other available option. So Diana waited patiently as Shayera was the last to finish her statements. Shayera was always meticulous with her notes, and as such her lack of speed caused her to take the longest more times than not, and that fact was about to serve as a boon for Diana.

She waited patiently until Shayera stood up to make her exit, and then spoke up. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question concerning this last mission if you don't mind." She said in as friendly a tone as she could muster.

"Look over my statement." Shayera snapped back at her. "I'm sure whatever critique you're..."

"It won't be in there." Diana said, interrupting her winged teammate. She saw the anger beginning to grow, but spoke quickly in an effort to diffuse any potential explosion. "Your notes are always the most accurate amongst us all. They even rival that of Batman's."

Shayera's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she recalled that Diana wanted something from her and crossed her arms over her chest. "Then what is it?" She demanded.

"What's never in your reports are the emotions behind a mission." Diana explained. "Accuracy isn't what I'm curious about. It's what I noticed while vetting each of you upon your return that I'm curious about. You all acted as though you'd failed, but unless each of you indicated something different in your notes, then the mission was slated as a success."

"I think I see what you're looking for." Shayera said as she understood what Diana was getting to.

So Shayera sat down in the spare seat situated close to the Monitor Womb's main station, and turned to face where Diana was supposed to be seated until the Princess picked up on it and joined her. Shayera sighed and then began to tell the tale.

* * *

 _We'd just finished taking down the outer defences of the Royal Flush Gang, leaving only the most powerful of the bunch remaining. Once we finished subduing the rest of the gang was when Amanda Waller joined us. She was carrying a briefcase with her, and we all knew that the rest of the information she'd left out of her initial request for the Justice League's presence was about to be provided. Judging from the serious look on her face, we could tell that we weren't going to like it either._

 _That was when Amanda told us about Ace's rapidly deteriorating health and the potential repercussions if no one reached her and stopped her before she passed on. It turns out that this little girl had even more power than any of us could've imagined. We had no choice but to stop her, and inside that briefcase was what Waller said could do just that. The only issue was that in order to stop Ace, we basically had to kill her or risk even more damage being done._

 _I looked around at the four of us, and instantly concluded that I was the best option. I'd killed before in the name of protecting my home world, and this wouldn't be any different. I figured there was no chance Ace would let any of us get close without a fight, and with that assumption, it wasn't hard to deduce that Red Tornado would most likely not be able to get to her. He thinks too much about codes and possibilities, and this little girl could literally bend reality. You had to be able to think on your feet._

 _There was no way I was going to force Stargirl to take this on. She was too young, and hadn't had to face the hard task of taking another life yet, let alone a young little girl who didn't deserve her fate._

 _After all,_ _Ace never asked for any of this. She'd been poked and prodded for virtually her entire life. She'd even had her mind twisted by the Joker for a time before she saw his true colors. I certainly couldn't blame her for the way she turned out. I don't think anyone in her position would've acted differently, or at least any less violently than she had._

 _That left only Batman or myself, and I remembered all to well about his one rule. His constant refusal to kill anyone, even if they truly deserved it. So I reached for the device, but then he surprised me when he stopped me and said that he'd do it._

 _I admit that I was too shocked to even try talking him out of it when Waller showed him how the device worked. She even warned him of what he was accepting, and I knew that if he went through with it, he'd never be the same. He's always been fair to everyone, even me when I returned. I'd tried to see it as though he'd actually been keeping an eye on me to see if I was going to betray the League again, but he was just protecting everyone. Even me when I didn't think I needed it._

 _I didn't want him to sacrifice who he was, what he stood for, but before I found my voice again, the vines were pulling apart until a pathway cleared. Batman didn't even hesitate as he secured the device and ran in. Of course we all ran after him, but no sooner had the vines opened up, than did they shut us right back out. Ace was obviously allowing Batman in and no one else._

 _We couldn't protect our teammate, couldn't back him up if she defeated him, or worse. Instead we were being forced to wait and pray that Batman would follow through and do the one thing he'd always refused so adamantly to do before._

 _The next thing I knew, all the abstract things started returning to their normal state. Even the members of the Royal Flush gang became normal, powerless humans again, and then the next thing we see is Batman carrying this poor little girl toward us from what used to be her impenetrable fortress. Needless to say, I was back in a state of shock. I though that Batman had actually gone through with it and broken his rule. But then I saw the look on his face._

 _Even though his cowl covers a good portion, it wasn't hard to see that he'd chosen not to kill. I tried to get him to tell me what happened, and he did let me know some of it, but not very much before he left us all standing there._

 _What he told me was that he knew trying to reach out to her was the best way to get to Ace and have a real chance of her fixing everything she'd changed. I think that he might've known from the start that he wasn't going to kill her, and he told me that Ace said she knew he wasn't going to use Waller's device on her. I believe that may be why the girl allowed him to get so close to her. She somehow knew that he wasn't going to harm her. Instead he stayed with her until she passed away._

 _Life is just so unfair at times, and this was one of those instances. That little girl deserved the chance to live and find some form of happiness. I've read her file before, and she's never had happiness in her life. The only form of peace she got was at the very end from a man she'd barely knew._

* * *

"That was quite the risk." Diana commented once Shayera finished her story. "It would be hard to believe that lesser person would have taken such a chance."

"I'm not sure there's anyone else who would've once you consider how dangerous Ace had always been." Shayera said in response. "I know that I wouldn't have. The funny thing is, for as cold and calculating as Batman seems to be all the time... if you look hard enough, you can find rare moments like this where he turns around and does something to completely prove how much he actually does care about others."

"He definitely tries to make it difficult to believe." Diana said as she turned and glanced out of a star filled window, beginning to reflect upon what Shayera had just shared with her and her own memories of Bruce's actions. It didn't take long to realize that it wasn't so hard to believe after all. Bruce was always one of the most calculating individuals the League had and likely would ever see. Every action and spoken word from him seemed to hold a distinct purpose, even if that purpose might only be known to him.

But then there were some rare moments of compassion and extreme selflessness that he would display. Times such as when he tried to help an injured teammate who'd just been magically shocked without taking into account that the magical attack might pass into his own body as well. There were also other instances, such as understanding when there are times where speaking up to defend a comrade would only add to a painful situation, or times where he'd spent a late night sitting bedside to be there while a teammate is recovering from a serious injury. Even the way he acted when everyone else believed Superman had been taken from the world served as a good example.

It was so easy at times to forget that Bruce was still human, and Diana found that she was just as guilty of this as any other person. Even at that very moment no one seemed to take into account that Bruce might be suffering emotionally from his direct involvement in the last mission. The others had been affected by the end result, but as Shayera had stated, none of them were actually there when Ace passed away. No one was there...except for him.

Diana wondered what might he be going through right now? Was he coping with it well, or had he run back to the safety of his sanctuary? If that was what he'd done, would simply being there be enough for him to get through any emotional trauma? Of the last question, she was sure that he would, but the length of time it would take was more the question. Often times, after a difficult end to a mission, Bruce would refrain from League activities if at all possible. Sometimes it was a week or two, but others had begun to expand into months.

Having to sit by completely powerless as a child basically dies in your arms is an experience no one could possibly leave without some form of emotional scarring. And she was sure even the almighty Batman was not immune to this. She knew that he cared. He'd proven it with his actions time and time again despite how he carried himself around others, and she wondered if perhaps there was something she could offer to help him better get through such an emotionally taxing ordeal. Perhaps as a teammate, or maybe as a friend.

She didn't know, but she decided at that moment that she was going to find out. With her decision made, she finally looked away from the window, and realized that Shayera had apparently took the distracting thoughts as justification to make her exit. Unfortunately that meant there was now no one else still in the Monitor Womb to ask to cover the remainder of her Monitor Duty session. She would just have to wait until her shift ended.

* * *

As soon as Diana was relieved from Monitor Duty, she immediately went to the teleporters and beamed down to the Batcave. She hadn't expected Bruce to be there when she arrived, figuring that he would likely be taking out his anger and frustration out on the criminal element who happened cross his path. She might've felt sorry for them if not for the reasoning behind drawing Batman's attention.

Still, she glanced around the Batcave, keeping in mind that Batman often operated in a manner which would surprise anyone else. Whether he was there or not didn't matter. She'd already decided that she would wait up all night for him to return if that was what it took. Bruce might not have asked for help, but Diana had this feeling deep inside that told her he needed it.

"Miss Diana?" The voice of Alfred sounded, causing Diana to visibly jump in shock. "I'm terribly sorry for startling you Miss, but Master Bruce hadn't informed me that he was expecting guests this evening. If he had, I would've been better prepared for your arrival."

"Um, yes." Diana replied once her heart settled back down from where it'd lodged into her throat. "He didn't know I was coming over. In fact, I came of my own accord. I hope that's alright."

"Certainly Miss." Alfred said. "It's always a pleasure to have her highness honoring us with her presence. Would you like to wait upstairs in the Manor until the master returns?"

"No Alfred." Diana answered. "I believe I need to be down here when he returns."

"Need Miss?" Alfred asked out of curiosity.

"Yes." Diana confirmed. "I just have this feeling Alfred. I believe that Bruce might be suffering due to the outcome of a League mission he was involved with earlier this evening. I think he might need someone to be here for him."

"It's more likely he'd attempt to bottle up any traumatic event before allowing help from another." Alfred murmured as he moved over to the Cray super computer. He quickly pulled up a map of Gotham City and engaged the locator beacons of Batman's vehicles as well as his suit. "Or attempt to vent it out on Gotham's riff raff."

"I came to the same conclusion." Diana said as she stood next to the faithful butler, looking over the map revealing Bruce's whereabouts as he slowly moved about his city.

"I'm sure you are well versed in the fact that Master Bruce isn't typically the type to accept help from others." Alfred pointed out. "Even if he bloody well needs it."

"I am." Diana agreed. "But I'd still like to try. At the very least, he'll have no doubts that he has another option to help him through times such as this instance."

"Very well Miss." Alfred said just before his features changed to a slightly concerned demeanor. "But if you would take an old man's advice, I would suggest that you prepare yourself for any possible backlash. Bruce will in all likeliness lash out at you, quite viciously so as an attempt to deter you from trying to help him. Please also take the time before he returns to consider if you truly believe this will be worth the potential risk in damaging the relationship you both currently share. For as brilliant a mind as Bruce has, he seems to react to unanticipated emotion quite poorly, and I highly doubt this evening will have a different result from him."

"I will keep that in mind Alfred, thank you." Diana replied, taking a seat where she intended to wait for Bruce's eventual return.

* * *

Hours had passed by, and Bruce had yet to return. Sitting there was almost as boring as serving Monitor Duty, except that there was no mission to sink her teeth into this time. Instead, Diana had to pass the time by mentally going over her thoughts around Alfred's careful warning.

She felt that she was prepared for Bruce, as he would surely take offense to her even being there at all. But what she was still wrapping her head around was the risk Alfred had mentioned. It wasn't hard to determine what that risk was, but she hadn't yet determined just how high a risk it might be for her.

As a result Diana began to think about how her relationship with Bruce had evolved over time. In the beginning they were strictly professional toward each other. They'd only seen each other as teammates who were trying to feel each other out. There were a few awkward moments between them, but as time progressed and they began to understand how each other operated and thought, they started to work extremely well together. In the months they'd come to know each other, there were even times where not a word had to be shared between them, and yet they still knew exactly what the other was thinking.

As missions began to add up, it became inevitable that they eventually learned about each other on a more personal level. But there had been one thing that stuck out between them longer than anything else. Bruce had been extremely paranoid, secretive, and incredibly protective over his secret identity. Early on, it used to drive Diana mad with how distrustful Bruce still was, and even more so when she discovered that Kal had been in the know since before the League had started. Still, her every experience with Bruce told her that he trusted her with his life, and in truth she felt the same way with him. She'd just wished that he'd let his guard down a little when around his comrades.

Eventually she felt the level of trust growing, and along with it, a good measure of respect as well. And it seemed almost uncanny at times how their names began to come up more and more often whenever each of them was assigned to a mission. She'd already known how involved Bruce was with how the scheduling was done, and figured it wasn't just a mere coincidence. She also wholeheartedly believed there was absolutely no way he was using his sway to protect himself by keeping one of the most powerful teammates with him on missions.

There was one instance in particular which revealed just how much trust he had in her. She hadn't quite put her finger on it at the time, but when he'd quietly gone to her for advice concerning some evidence which pointed to a fellow Amazon as the likely suspect, Bruce hadn't gone through official through League channels. Instead he went straight to her. He'd shown how he respected her opinion then, even if she'd angrily threw his evidence back at him.

Surprisingly, her reaction hadn't truly held against her, and also brought to her thoughts of another trait which had grown over time. Concern for her well being. He'd went out of his way later on during that same mission trying to protect her as an approaching bus was about to potentially slam into her. Sure, she could've taken the punishment with ease, but he'd displayed a concern for her that she hadn't seen with some other members. She would've though that as one of Kal's closest friends, he would've reacted in a similar fashion, but she'd repeatedly seen instances where he did just the opposite with Kal. When it came to her being in a precarious spot, he seemed to let concern drive his actions rather than cold, hard logic.

It hadn't been long after that when Diana started to feel the initial sliver of friendship growing between them. They'd even started spending time working on their craft as heroes through sparring sessions. They shared healthy debates with one another over a variety of different worldly topics, even though when it came to the safety of humanity, they always seemed to be on the same page. But she still hadn't been able to if he honestly trusted her fully. By that point, he still hadn't given her clue one as to who lay beneath the Kevlar.

Just a few weeks later however, he actually approached her without the mask. His likely intention was to provide an escape from what seemed like an endless chorus of questions from onlookers and media types. But even if his intentions weren't to reveal his identity to her, she instantly knew. Bruce's presence around her gave off the same aura of Batman even if the mask was just his face. If he hadn't wanted her to figure it out, he certainly shouldn't have danced with her. The dance had provided ample time to study that jaw, and she was often close enough to gather a good perspective of his build. He'd of course later deny it, but from that point on he never corrected her when she called him Bruce in private.

By then she was certain that they were friends, but things continued to progress still. They began to flirt with each other, both openly as well as behind closed doors. It had been innocent for the most part, and never went above general teasing or subtle suggestions. As this continued though, things around them slowly started to escalate. She'd never been more certain of that than when she kissed him as a ruse to help hide them from the Thanagarians who were hunting after them.

She'd been pleasantly surprised at how Bruce responded to her then. She'd really enjoyed kissing him too, and hadn't honestly apologized for kissing him. She was actually apologizing because deep down she knew that she might've risked changed the relationship between them. He was quick to settle any opportunity for doubt though as he completely bypassed any need for apologies to be shared with two words and that trademark smirk of his.

Much to her relief, it hadn't seemed to change the dynamic of their relationship. Bruce certainly didn't seem to be affected, as he continued to flirt and tease when others weren't lurking, and Diana had been happy to keep things in the comfortable nature they shared with one another. She greatly enjoyed their banter, and looked forward to the times where they could spar or work together. She even convinced Bruce on one occasion to fly with her to the Fortress of Solitude in celebration of Kal's birthday, and he'd surprised her with how quickly he accepted her invite.

Normally, Bruce wouldn't even have considered such a thing as celebrating someone's birthday, but de didn't even question it, and the next thing she knew, there he was walking alongside her trying to pry what Kal's gift from her was. Of course, birthdays were completely forgotten once Mongol revealed himself and what he'd "gifted" to Kal. Just the thought alone of what that alien plant had done to both her friends on that day still sent a shudder through her.

It'd taken Kal weeks to regain that truly hopeful outlook he normally exuded so exquisitely, and Bruce did what he normally would. He delved further into his shell, and wasn't heard from or seen from again until a tip reached the League indicating that a rare item was about to be stolen from within his city. She knew full well that if something was going to happen within Gotham, there was no doubt he'd be involved.

Diana had sorely missed him, and that tip served as a prime opportunity to see him again. She even formulated a plan to try and help him come out from his doldrums. As she flew to meet up with him, she had the intention of reminding him of their kinship, and let him know that she cared and missed him. But she never realized how low a point he'd reached. He remained eerily quiet around her, and seemed content to just sit back and wait for the thief or thieves to reveal themselves.

She tried more than once to get him to open up and talk, but the most she could glean from him were one word responses. He also was giving off the perception that he didn't want to be around, not even with her. He didn't even want to "talk shop" as it were, and because of that, it didn't take long for Diana to become impatient with him. She'd done nothing to cause his cold attitude, and he certainly wasn't treating her like the good friend she believed that she was for him.

So she began looking for an escape, glancing downward to the happenings in front of the Iceburg Lounge. There she noticed how various couples were coming and going. Most had smiles on their faces and seemed to be enjoying one another's company, and it was then that inspiration struck her. Perhaps suggesting a friendly date with her would get a reaction out of him, and she'd been correct. It certainly drew his attention, but not in the way she'd hoped. Instead he chose to provide her with those damn dumb rules, or better yet, excuses because that was all they were.

And the sad thing was, she wasn't even looking at it as entirely romantic. At least not until he took it there by mention of his first point. She might've been hurt by way of his refusal, but then she discovered the lengths he went to in order to save her from a precarious predicament. He'd sung for her, and done so quite beautifully.

However it wasn't the quality of his singing, but the purpose behind it that meant the most to her. Circe had wanted him to potentially destroy the aura of fear that he'd worked for years cultivating. Her plan might've worked, but there was also a side effect that the witch didn't take into account. She'd actually re-established Diana's faith that Bruce held her in a special regard.

Soon enough they'd returned to their normal flirty banter, but by then Diana was taking note of how Bruce was reacted to certain situations. She'd seen how much it disturbed him to return to his youth thanks to Morgan La Faye and her spoiled brat of a son, Mordred. Then again when the League banished Doomsday to the Phantom Zone, and again when everyone believed Superman had died a the hands of Toyman. Each time Bruce would fall back into a shell, and each time it took him many weeks to return, and a number more before he started to settle back into his normal personality.

The last instance was when she'd decided that she was going to try in any way she could to keep Bruce from falling into that same place. It obviously wasn't a healthy place for him to be, and it appeared to take him longer each time to come out of his funk. He needed help, but her own reflection into the past had just created a realization within her. Before that very moment, she only believed they were the best of friends, but now she knew there was also an attraction between them. And now she found that she wanted to see where that attraction might lead.

At the most inopportune time for her, the sounds of the Batmobile's engine began to echo off the cave walls, and Alfred's semi-warning sprang to the forefront of her thoughts. Bruce wasn't going to take kindly to this "intrusion", and he was going to react accordingly. He very well might try to hurt her emotionally in order to get her to leave, and there was also a chance if he succeeded that it could also shatter what had been growing between them for years.

A moment of nervousness hit Diana like a brick wall. She didn't want there to be any negative impact on their relationship, but it was too late to slip away without being noticed as the tank-like had just come into view. She turned and stood from his computer chair, knowing that she was going to have to fight to get through to him if she wanted this night to have any chance of a positive outcome. She had to be the warrior she knew she was, and fighting was what she excelled at. It was up to her to ensure their relationship survived his hurting soul.

* * *

A/N: I had every intention of this story only being a one shot, but then I kept on typing and typing, and before I knew it, I wasn't even close to the end. So now it's going to be a two shot! Hope you all enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2: Part 2

Bruce knew he had company before he even exited the Batmobile. As part of his normal routine, he'd already performed a scan of the Batcave prior to driving into the hidden entrance. The results caused his agitation to grow immediately once he realized that the scanners had picked up Diana's presence. He simply wasn't in the mood for anyone to be around him when he was in such a fowl state of mind.

His first instinct was to turn around and leave so that he could wait her out, but the first rays of the sun had already begun brightening the morning sky. The Batman had to disappear into the shadows, and there wasn't enough time for him to get back into the city before that would be impossible. He wouldn't be able to make it back to the city limits, let alone make it to one of his safe-houses or weapons caches within the city just to avoid having to deal with Diana. Someone would easily be able to track him, and it wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

That left him with no other choice but to continue into the cave and face her head on. Being already in the mood he was in, he only hoped that he could convince her to leave without having to piss her off too badly. Suffering the wrath of an angry Amazon was something he wasn't look forward to dealing with, should it come down to that in order to get her to leave.

"What are you doing here Diana?" He growled as the canopy to the Batmobile slid open and he exited the vehicle.

"I heard about what happened during your last League mission." Diana explained as she floated down and landed next to him. She immediately noticed how irritated he seemed to be, and knew that at least part of it was the result of her uninvited presence, but she wasn't about to let that deter her. "I thought that maybe you could use a friend."

"I'm fine." He lied. "I'll be up later today to submit my mission report."

Had it been anyone else, they very likely would've bought his attempted deception, but Diana had gotten close enough to him over the years to where she could pick up on almost any intricate deviation he revealed. And that was aside from the fact that she was virtually the goddess of truth. Lying to her was never an easy endeavor, even for someone as well versed as Bruce.

"You're obviously not fine, and you're only saying what you believe will get me to leave."She countered, placing her hands on her hips. "What will really happen is you'll file your mission report remotely, and then none of us will hear anything from you for months."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Batman fired back at her heatedly.

"You're supposed to be this great detective, Bruce." Diana shot right back at him as she stood defiantly before him, ultimately blocking his path. "I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Don't question my methods Diana." Bruce seethed as his hands clenched into tight fists under his cape.

"I normally wouldn't, but there's an obvious need to in this instance, Bruce." Diana said, raising her voice as frustration began to broil. She couldn't fathom any good reason for him to be so damn difficult all the time. After all, she was only trying to help. "I've always given you the distance you seem to covet when emotionally troubling things happen to you, but during those times I've also noticed a troubling pattern."

Bruce stood there silently as he began to ponder about just how much time Diana might've taken in determining how best she believed it would be to approach him. She'd obviously done her homework if she planned to compare this instance to others. But perhaps her plan could also serve his interest. He internally processed the odds of what might happen if he just let her say what she'd come to say. Perhaps then she would leave of her own accord once she realized that she could talk until she was blue in the face, but he wasn't about to listen to her. If that approach was successful, then he could avoid going to extreme methods to make her want to leave.

Diana didn't take long in realizing that Bruce wasn't going to say anything before she continued on. "Every time you close yourself off from the League, from your teammates, from your friends. At first, you only avoided us for a couple of weeks. But then it escalated into six, and now I believe you'll hide away from everyone for entire months. And don't try using Alfred as some justification to counter to what I've brought up. With the frenetic pace you keep under normal circumstances, there's no way that even the Flash could keep up without having someone like Alfred to help."

Upon hearing Diana's point, Bruce actually had to force himself to keep his lips from curling upward. She'd impressed him with how she slammed the door on a viable flaw in her argument, and she obviously wasn't done driving her point home if the determined look on her face served as any indicator. She was being deliberate with her words, and was watching him for any reaction. He knew he had to be at his best to keep enough hidden for he'd never get her leave.

"You need to accept that your chosen approach is not only taking its toll on you mentally and emotionally, but it's also not working. I think it would be in your best interest to try something else. Regardless of the opinion you have about yourself, you have to realize that the world is better off when you're at one hundred percent. Regardless of what you'll say, when you close yourself off like you always do, you aren't even close to that level. Not for the world, not for the League, and I'd wager not even for Gotham."

"Are you done?" He snapped, and immediately regretted it. He'd let her touching on how well he could protect his city cause a response to slip passed his lips, and his chosen words brought about a flash in Diana's eyes. He was certain that he'd just sent himself down that one special creek without paddles.

"I'll be done once I've gotten through that thick, ego driven, male head of yours!" Diana shouted at him, poking him in the chest with each descriptive word. "I'm only asking that just this one time, please try something different than what you _think_ has worked before. It's clear to everyone that what you've been doing isn't working, and it's only getting worse. We all care about you Bruce. I care about you."

He instantly wanted to kick himself after slipping upon her words once again. He hadn't been able to stop an almost imperceptible flinch, and unfortunately for him she saw it. She had to know without a doubt that she'd at the very least finally gotten his attention. Something she'd said had given him pause, and knowing him as she did, she would likely be able to decipher what his reaction tied to with little difficulty.

In all actuality, he shouldn't have been surprised. Diana had always been the one person who could throw him off balance, and he couldn't stand that she'd also become adept at picking up on it too. He knew that he had to react quickly before she made up her mind about staying to "help" him.

"I know that you care Princess." He said calculatingly. "And I appreciate the gesture you've made, but I'm fine. Really."

Diana's eyes continued to survey Bruce as he spoke. The anger in his voice had left, but something still wasn't sitting well with her even though she couldn't put her finger on it. It definitely felt like things were going too easily in her favor. He hadn't even "ordered" her to leave. Never before had she known him to calm so quickly from a heated discussion unless he was certain things were going to work out in his favor. She was certain there was no chance of him doing that. She needed to probe further and see where it took her.

"So then you're willing to accept my help in getting through such a traumatic ordeal?" She questioned.

"There's nothing for you to help with." Bruce countered. "I couldn't have done anything more for Ace than what I already did. Her death was an unfortunate inevitability."

"And you're still not going to beat yourself up inside over it?" Diana asked, not believing a word he said.

"No." He said in an almost completely neutral tone.

"If that's indeed the case, then you wouldn't mind answering that question again while under the influence of my lasso?"

"You don't trust me?" He questioned, trying to steer away from that possibility. He absolutely did not want to be forced into answering questions or sharing things he didn't want to share.

"I trust you Bruce." She said, and he almost sighed in relief. Almost. "When it comes to my life in battle, or our friendship. or even when it concerns my own feelings, there's no one I trust more. What I also trust regarding you is that you would resort to deception if necessary in order to get your way."

"I'm not going to answer any of your damn questions under that lasso." Bruce growled, deciding if she wasn't going to drop it then he was going to move on to a more aggressive approach, and thusly tried to stomp passed Diana. "You know your way ou..."

Much to his chagrin Diana wasn't having it, and she interrupted him as she latched onto his arm before tossing him into a nearby cave wall. It wasn't very hard, but she'd definitely put enough strength into it to let him know that she meant business. She wasn't about to let this go, and she'd made that abundantly clear.

Diana's little toss was certainly going to leave some bruises on his back, but Bruce refused to show any signs that he'd been hurt in any way. If she wanted to get into a physical altercation, then she was about to get her wish, and a small part of him was going to enjoy this. After all, he still had plenty of pent up frustration in need of venting that patrolling hadn't come close to satisfying.

Bruce got into a defensive stance, but kept his hands hidden inside his cape as he deftly reached for some weaponry in his belt which might subdue a meta of Diana's abilities. He needed to distract her long enough for him to reach his armory as he had nothing on him that would subdue her for more than a couple seconds. Any chance he could come up with would also still have to be timed just right. If he happened to miss or miscalculated his attack, the fight would be over before it began.

Diana joined Bruce in getting into a fighting stance as they began to circle each other. She knew she was at a distinct disadvantage by being in his cave. Home advantage was the term she'd heard from other Leaguers before. What she knew was that it gave Bruce access to a plethora of gadgets and weapons, and he had his familiarity of the cave as an advantage too. She was going to have to be cautious.

They both continued to circle each other, neither one seemingly willing to initiate the attack, but then Bruce suddenly snapped into action with a roundhouse kick. It was easy enough for Diana to avoid. She didn't even need to try blocking it, but that was what troubled her the most about it. Her concern soon turned out to be justified as she heard a hissing noise begin to emanate from around her feet.

Before Diana could spare a glance downward to investigate, Bruce had thrown a batarang straight for her head, and forced her to duck to avoid it. It was then that she caught a whiff of the gas bombs he'd apparently tossed at her feet. She knew from the odor that it had to be an anesthetic gas, and she had to get up and away from the source quickly before its effect disoriented her too much.

Little did she know, but as soon as Bruce had released the batarang, he sprinted straight for the armory. By them circling each other, he'd managed to position Diana where she'd have to go through the gas in order to stop him. Fortunately for him, they were already in a part of the cave that was shallow enough to prevent her from being able to just fly over. She'd have to move forward through the gas or back away from him to avoid it. To assist him in his plan of attack, he'd also tossed a smoke bomb along with the gas pellets to temporarily blind her from seeing where he was heading. He knew she'd charge through soon enough though. It simply wasn't in her DNA to back away.

Diana backed up just far enough to suck in a breath of clean air and then plunged forward into the gas and smoke. However by the time she got through to where she could see again, Bruce had already reached the cave armory. He'd quickly changed into different gauntlets and had switched to a much more bulky utility belt, and she knew she was in for a fight.

Still, she didn't want to hurt him. After all he was a close friend, but he seemed intent on taking her down, and that was something she couldn't allow to happen. Bruce needed to see that there were other, better avenues to choose from even if she had to pound it into him.

Diana didn't wait for Bruce to attack this time, and instead she started off with a feinted jab. But before she could complete her attack, he again took her by surprise. Instead of reacting to the feint by evading or blocking it, he instead struck her extended arm. It didn't take long to figure out why as a strong jolt of electricity coursed through her body as soon as his fist made contact. The gauntlets he'd changed into were now coursing with electricity, and he'd taken advantage of the opportunity to shock the hell out of her.

It was most definitely painful, but nowhere near enough to give him much in the way of a definite advantage. Still, she knew that each time he managed to connect with his fists, it was going to hurt. And he wasn't finished trying to gain any advantage he had at his disposal either.

"Blackout!" He suddenly called out, and everything in the cave instantly went dark.

Diana leapt forward to the last position she'd known him to be in, but he'd already vacated that spot. She couldn't believe how dark the cave was. She couldn't even see a few inches in front of her nose. She was going to have to rely on her other senses to see her way through this, and it was against a man who thrived in such settings.

Diana could hear the chirping of bats and the sounds of an underground river flowing. Both noises were going to help mask any noises Bruce might make. She had to hope that a man who could sneak up on Superman in broad daylight would make enough noise to give her an opportunity to react.

Diana allowed a small hiss to escape her lips as the pain of electricity strummed through her again. This time, Bruce had struck her in the back of the head. She stumbled forward a couple of steps and growled in frustration. "Eventually those batteries are going to run out Bruce." She said as she once again got into a defensive stance. "What then?"

"Then I'll resort to this unbreakable Lasso of yours to subdue you Princess." He taunted from a safe distance. As expected, Diana instantly lunged for where she'd projected that his voice had come from, but he'd been constantly moving. He wasn't about to give her a free shot.

When she came up empty in her attempt to get her hands on him, she then reached down to her hip. Sure enough, he had removed the Lasso of Truth from her hip, and worst of all, she hadn't even noticed. With that weapon at his disposal, she knew that she had to come up with a new tactic to turn the battle in her favor. She could take any punishment he would be willing to deliver, but she knew that he'd also never put himself in a precarious position when he did choose to attack. For both of them knew that if she could just get her hands on him, the fight instantly swing into her favor.

"Why are you so willing to fight a friend who only wants to help you?" She asked, trying to at least keep tabs on which direction he might come from.

"Because I didn't ask for any help." Came his clipped answer.

"No you didn't, but I think it's also because you're too weak." Diana declared angrily. "What you plan to do is the coward's way out!"

"So then I suppose you're taking pity on the weak mortal member of the team." Batman surmised as he watched her levitate off the ground and to his surprise, away from where he'd just spoken.

As Diana moved, she felt her way around until she'd gone into a larger portion of the cave. She needed to take away any advantage she could, and by seeking out more open space to move around, she wasn't as constricted as to what she could do. The more space she had around her, the more she felt in control, and when she felt more comfortable about her predicament, she decided to speak up once again. "Only in matters of the heart Bruce." She responded. "There are too many members of the Justice League without powers for anyone to question by one's powers compared to others. No one is completely omnipotent. Not even Kal. Besides, I believe that you might very well be the most dangerous of us all. But while I've said all this, we should never forget that there is still room for growth in each of us. Even for someone as brilliant and powerful as you."

"First pity, and now an attempt at flattery Diana?" Bruce asked rhetorically.

As she'd hoped, he had followed her into the more open part of the cave. The open space offered less walls for his voice to bounce off of, and she hoped the end result would help her to pinpoint his actual position. She just needed to keep him talking long enough to figure that out. "It's called showing respect, Bruce." Diana grumbled. "You should try it sometime. You'd be amazed at how much easier it is to work with someone when you do."

"Just more evidence to back up what I said when the League was first formed." Batman said as he was once again circling her, weaving around the occasional stalagmite as he went. "It's not worth the effort Diana. So why don't you save us both some time and go home."

"I won't go Bruce." Diana fired back at him. "Because you're mistaken. I think it is worth the effort."

"I don't want your help!" Bruce heatedly spat. "You're not welcome here. Leave."

The anger was back in full force. Bruce wasn't trying to hide it at all, and for the first time, Diana considered respecting his wishes. But if she did, she knew that she would be just like everyone else that he'd dealt with before. If she did, he'd continue down this torturous path of self destruction that he was vehemently trying to continue on, and she wasn't about to be just another name on the list who bowed to the misguided direction that the Bat's mind wished to go.

"Sometimes when help isn't wanted is when it is most needed." Diana said. "I know that you are not fine regardless of the hollow words you've used to try and sway my opinion on the matter. So I will not leave until you actually speak with me. Honestly."

Things suddenly became a little too quiet in the cave. Bruce hadn't spoken another word, and Diana couldn't make out any sort of noises from him. She began to spin around out of anxious anticipation on a few occasions, but then came to the conclusion that her mind was starting to play tricks on her. Bruce wouldn't make a noise unless he wanted to. Every move he mad was deliberate, and he didn't make a noise even though there was no doubt that he was continually moving around. Had he not been, she would surely have gotten her hands on him by then.

In the silence, Diana began to wonder if she was actually going to make some headway with Bruce. Say she were to pin him down. What would happen then? She was certain he wouldn't just open up to her. Hell, he probably still wouldn't even allow her to try and see him through his inner turmoil. In fact, he would probably act like a spoiled child.

If she were to use the Lasso on him, he'd be more than irate with her. Whatever relationship they'd had to that point would certainly be destroyed if she actually resorted to such a method, and that wasn't worth the risk to her. Not anymore at least.

She either had to get him to let his guard down, or she was just going to have to leave. Those were the only two options she could see where the least damage would occur, and that thought broke her heart for him.

No sooner had Diana opened her mouth to request that Bruce turn on the lights so that she could leave than did he finally make his move. He resorted to using the lariat to seize one of her wrists. She didn't even fight him when he moved to wrap the other one up as well before he spun around her. Within a couple seconds, she was completely bound by the Lasso, and was impressed by his quickness.

His moves were fast enough that she wasn't even sure she could've avoided being bound if she had actually tried to escape. And if she had, he would've only had to issue a verbal command and the Lasso would've compelled her to obey.

"End Blackout Protocol. Command Alpha-Gamma-Bravo-Lima-6-2-9-3. Voice command, Alfred." Bruce barked as he stood before the Amazon Princess.

 _Command confirmed._ An electronic voice responded just before the lights came on.

Instinctively, Diana squinted her eyes until they eventually adjusted to the sudden brightness within the cave. A brightness she'd never noticed until that very moment.

"I'm going to let you go Princess, but when I do, you are going to leave without question." Batman said as he glared at her.

"I was planning on leaving anyways." She said.

Batman once again flinched upon hearing her words, but he quickly recovered. He was still curious though. "Then why go through all this trouble?" He asked.

"Because I wanted to help you." She answered, which only added to his surprise.

"You were going to help me by coming here uninvited and then leave?" Batman continued to question her.

"No." Diana tried to answer without providing any more details than possible, but she found that hiding even a sliver of truth from her answer was pure torture. The Lasso began to glow around her and burned where it touched. She found that she wanted to be free from its influence. Especially when she considered that Bruce seemed to be turning toward a more interrogative attitude. She could almost see the endless questions brewing behind that cowl of his.

"Explain."

Diana glared at him with pure anger. She continued to fight having to answer him, but it was useless to resist. Even the champion of the Amazons couldn't resist the power of the Lasso. Albeit through clenched teeth. "I...only wanted...to...help. But I realized...there were...risks...I...didn't want...to...take."

"What risks?"

"Damaging...the relationship...we had." By the time she'd answered that last question, Diana was almost completely spent. She almost felt sorry for everyone who'd been compelled into revealing answers under the Lasso that they would've rather kept secret. She didn't try to hide her anger at how Bruce was so willing to use the Lasso on her, and it was more than obvious that he was aware of what he was doing.

"Had." He repeated. "Past tense. What changed?"

"You using the Lasso on someone I believed you considered a friend." She answered.

He snorted in disbelief. "Seems hypocritical considering that you threatened to use it on me just a few moments ago."

"It was only a threat." She answered, now driven to just answer his questions so he'd release her. The damage had been done already, and instead of her fear that she'd upset him to the point of ruining their relationship, his interrogation of her with the Lasso was now serving that role. "I knew that you'd be incredibly upset if I tried to use such a tactic on you, and our friendship wasn't worth taking such a risk."

"You're right. It wouldn't have been worth the risk." He agreed.

"Then why did you use it against me?" She asked. "Release me so I can go. Sulk in your own misery for all the time you wish. I won't try and stop you."

Bruce saw the coldness growing in her eyes. He'd done that to her. He'd taken advantage of the situation and forcefully interrogated someone he cared for, and now it was his doing which had just damaged their friendship. Internally he began to kick himself as he unraveled her from her Lasso.

This moment only served to further prove he'd been right about trying to be anything more than teammates. She'd just admitted under the Lasso's power that she wouldn't have used it on him even if she'd originally threatened to. She was such a good person through and through, and he wasn't. Perhaps he'd lived in the darkness for too long, had let it consume too much of his personality.

As soon as she was free of her own weapon, Bruce handed it over to Diana. He needed to let her go before he made things even worse. Perhaps in time she could forgive his error in judgement.

Diana clipped the Lasso to her hip and began to float away, but suddenly she stopped. Diana glanced down to her upper arm where she'd felt Bruce's hand latching onto her. He hadn't gripped her aggressively at all, but she didn't want to be anywhere near him at the moment. He'd taken advantage of a situation with her, and treated her like a criminal, not a friend.

She ripped her arm free of his grip, and turned to fly out of the cave, but then he spoke. It was barely audible, but she could just make out the contrition in his voice. "Did you just tell me that you're sorry?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered. "It was wrong to do something like what I did. I'm sorry."

Diana slowly let her feet touch back down to the ground upon hearing his apology. An apology from Bruce was quite the oddity. So much so that if she were to tell anyone who knew him that he'd apologized to her, no one would've believed her. Still she was angry with him, and her patience was paper thin.

"Then why did you do it?" She asked.

Bruce surprised her once again as he reached for the same Lasso he'd used against her. Initially, she started to reach for it to keep him from taking it again, but he'd been quick to reveal his intentions, wrapping it around his wrist and handing the rest to her. "I wanted you to leave." He said. "I didn't want someone as good and pure as you to be near me. To possibly be tainted from being around me. So I pushed you away."

"But you're a good man Bruce." Diana replied.

"No." He shot back at her. "I live...thrive in the darkness. I stare into the abyss every day, and one day I'll inevitably cross a line and become what I hate."

"That's not true Bruce." Diana argued. "You are a good man. Perhaps the best man I've ever known. You're completely selfless except when it comes to letting someone else help you when you're in need."

"Anyone who gets too close to me only ends up hurt in the end. Or worse." Bruce said before quickly removing himself from the tethers. He'd revealed too much, and needed to be free from having to speak his mind before he said something he was certain he'd regret.

Diana didn't try to stop him as she respected Bruce's wish to be free of the Lasso. She also understood how he likely felt under its influence. After all, even she hadn't appreciated being forced to answer certain questions quite so completely. His answers however had managed to rekindle her desire to be there for him. To help him if she could.

His spirit was clearly damaged, and perhaps it had sustained more damage over the years than she'd originally anticipated. Not only had Ace's demise had an impact in need of attention, but he also seemed to need someone to help him see his self perception was wrong. "You've done too much good in your lifetime to not be considered a good person." She said as she reached out a hand in an offer of comfort.

Before she could place her hand onto one of Bruce's shoulders, he stepped away from her reach. "You don't understand." He said with his back to her. "The depths I've had to reach just to make any impact on this city. A good person can't survive Gotham's worst. It takes the good men and women and tears them down until there's nothing left. I've seen it too many times before, and someone like you who's a beacon of hope, who's a source of light and what's good in this world couldn't understand."

"You bring hope to this city Bruce." Diana responded defiantly. "You are the light for the people to look toward, you are the one who can guide them out of the darkness. You may thrive from the darkness, but it's not because you are dark or a bad person. It's because that's where you need to be in order to make a real difference in Gotham, and you have. Even if you refuse to see it."

An eerie silence once again fell upon the cave, and Diana wasn't precisely sure if that meant Bruce was allowing her words to sink in or if he was settling in even more than he'd already done. He hadn't made any movement away from her however, so she took that as a sign to continue on. But instead of speaking, she instead slipped closer to him and once again reached up in an offer of comfort, placing her hands on his shoulders. This time he didn't step away. This time, his shoulders slumped when she mad contact, and his head dropped to where he couldn't have been looking anywhere but toward his feet.

"Why?" He croaked in a raspy whisper.

"Because I care." She said. It was a compassionate tone, but also a tone which seemed to indicate the answer should've been more than obvious.

Bruce didn't step away from her even though his mind was screaming for him to do so. She cared. He didn't need her under the lasso to know that she was speaking the truth. He knew she'd meant what she said. Still he couldn't believe it. He slowly turned around to face her with the intention of trying to find the truth in her eyes, but then he surprised himself as he reached up and removed the cowl before dropped it with a thud onto the cave floor.

Diana saw how Bruce's eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, and there was also a broken look about him when she gazed into those dark blue eyes. She didn't even hesitate as she moved in to wrap him into a tender and loving hug.

At first, Bruce just stood there not making a move for or against Diana's offer of comfort. But then his arms slowly slid around her, and his head drooped down until softly landing on one of her shoulders. She allowed one of her hands to trail upwards until her fingers laced into his sweat matted hair, and she began running her fingers through it.

Diana was amazed as what started off as seconds turned into minutes and Bruce had yet to attempt fleeing from the affection she was offering him. She knew this was quite possibly the rarest of moments she would ever experience. She wanted to soak it all in, and instantly became acutely aware of what was happening around them. She felt each individual hair curling around her fingers, took note of the subtle shake of his each breath. She drank it all in, and she could almost feel the pain Bruce was trying to deal with internally.

Soon enough though, the inevitability that they couldn't remain in that position forever reared its ugly head as Bruce slowly lifted his head off of Diana's shoulder. When another couple seconds passed by, she opened her eyes to see him looking directly at her. There were tears in his eyes, but he wasn't going to allow them to fall. She knew instantly that he wouldn't.

The moment between them was coming to an end. She'd given him some of her strength with her compassion, and knew that she was going to have to release him. That was when an unfamiliar sense of urgency suddenly struck her, and before she knew what she was doing, she'd leaned in and closed her eyes just as her lips ever so gently pressed against his.

She didn't know what had come over her, and her eyes snapped open to see Bruce's closing. He surprised her further when one of his hands moved up to caress the side of her face as he began to deepen the kiss. At that moment, a little guilt managed to build inside her, but it was quickly snuffed out as Bruce reached up with his other hand to pull her head a little closer to him.

Everything felt a little fuzzy from that point on. Even when Bruce did eventually pull back and end the kiss, she felt like she was in a haze. It took her a few moments to register how heavily her breathing was, but also how he was struggling to catch his own breath as well. She wasn't exactly sure what had just happened between them, and she could see in his eyes that he was still hurting, although noticeably less so than just moments before.

The next thing Diana noticed was that Bruce hadn't let go of her yet even though he hadn't attempted to kiss her again either. "Why did you stop?" She asked in between breaths.

"I wasn't sure if you kissed me out of guilt or pity." He answered.

"I'm not sure why I did, but it wasn't pity Bruce." Diana said with complete certainty. "And the only guilt I felt was that I might've been taking advantage of your emotional state. But why did you keep kissing me if you weren't sure why I kissed you?"

"I guess I'm not as selfless as you thought." He lightly teased before leaning in and kissing her again.

This time though, she was the one who chose to deepen it, and this time she was sure why she did it. When they once again broke apart to try catching their breaths, Bruce was the first to speak. "Thank you." He said.

Diana looked at him in puzzlement. "For what?" She asked.

"For trying to help me in a time of mourning."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's where this story ends. What did you guys think?


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